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Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Ahhhh, a brand new year will be upon us in a matter of
hours. Some people have been making resolutions. Others have been making
reservations for New Year’s Eve. Me, I’ve been cutting up this year’s calendar.
I’m literally wearing out the last moments of 2015.

Besides cutting up my calendar, I’ve also practiced writing
“2016” a little bit. (This happened while I was writing my January 2016 To Do
list. Also known as "Stuff I didn’t get to in December." The December To Do list
was also known as "Stuff I didn’t get to during the first eleven months of the
year.")

At one point my brain got a little confused and I wrote
“2006.” Clearly my hand and my brain were not in sync and one of them was
confused about which decade it is. (Oh well. I’ll figure that out next week. Next year. Whatever.)

Time is such an interesting notion, isn’t it? Like most
people older than eighteen, I feel like time races along at breakneck speed and
I never have enough of it. In some ways, a year sounds so long, but it passes
quickly. Holding my 2015 calendar in my hands, flipping through the pages,
month after month, it really strikes me how long a year is, how full it is. I
tend to write EVERYTHING on my calendar so that I don’t have to remember
anything (except reading my calendar each day to see which surprise are coming
in the next week). Some days I have so much scheduled that I have to extend the
borders of the squares on my calendar into surrounding boxes. I have three
kids. The weeks tend to be full!

For many people the new year brings a symbolic fresh start
along with a blank calendar and trying to remember to write the date correctly.
Is a fresh start exciting? Or does January bring pressure to make a resolution?
Is it a helpful reminder to leave the past in the past and to focus on the
future?

Sometimes I examine the past more than I probably should. I
lament things from the past that I can’t change, which I know is a waste of
time but I’m human and we each have our quirks. Maybe cutting up my calendar
(for the first time ever) can give me a clean break from the past. Literally
cutting through the past year’s calendar could be the symbolic act I need to
keep my focus on now.

How about you, my loyal little group of readers? Do you make
resolutions? Are you wearing your calendar as clothing today?! Either way,
happy new year.

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Poinsettia flowers are a symbol of the Christmas season and as you can see, I am wearing poinsettias today. You can buy artificial ones but I wanted to make my own, of course. I made five poinsettias: two tiny ones as earrings, one for my head, one for my front and one for my back. Here’s what I used: felt, foam, sparkly foam, hot glue, pipe cleaners, permanent marker, buttons and beads. Throw on red rights, skirt and shirt (which I had already). Total cost: less than $5.

Did you know that what look like pointy red petals are actually leaves? The flowers are the tiny yellow center of the plant. I was surprised. If you happen to play Trivial Pursuit over the long holiday weekend and a question involving poinsettia flowers comes up, you’ll know the answer. I’m always happy to help, of course. If you win the game because of my fact about poinsettias, and you feel a strong need to name a star after me in gratitude, I won’t argue.

These plants
were named after Joel Roberts Poinsett, a botanist who introduced the plant to
the U.S. in 1825. I’d been aware of how popular poinsettias are this time of
year, but over the last month (as plans for today’s outfit simmered in the back
of my mind) I saw poinsettias everywhere.
I saw them in stylized renditions online. I saw them in stores. Suddenly, it
was a poinsettia-filled world.

Have you
realized that my costume coincides with the Poinsettia Bowl football game in
San Diego today? Sheer genius, eh? Well, in truth, I had no idea that this bowl
game was scheduled for today, in the city where I live, so if you insist on
proclaiming my brilliance, I’ll modestly shake my head. But if you really
insist, I can’t stop you!

Whichever
holiday you’re celebrating this month, may it be happy, safe and filled with
laughter.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

This week I am dressed as a Christmas Tree, which I hope is
obvious but I’ll declare it nonetheless. Christmas is coming and my outfit is
ready, even if my To Do list still stretches from here to the North Pole.

This kind of costume is delightful to create because you can
decorate it however you like. Let’s talk ornaments, shall we? Some of the
ornaments I’m wearing may look familiar. I’m reusing certain accessories from
past Wacky Wednesdays. Can you spot them? Last week’s snowflakes and the
previous week’s candy canes are getting a second use this week.

As always, I wanted my costume to be a lot of fun without
spending much. Here’s what it cost to grow this tree:

Everywhere I went today people liked seeing the walking,
talking Christmas tree. I think people enjoy the surprise of seeing a festive costume
when they’re not expecting it. But sometimes I’m also surprised. Today this
costume led to a comment and a chain of thoughts that I hadn’t expected. As I
was leaving my gym, an older man on a treadmill stopped me (and yes, of course
I work out in my crazy costumes!). I’d seen him before but we’d never talked.
He said, “Every week I see you in these costumes. And I always think this: here
is a woman who is really comfortable in her own skin.”

I looked him in the eye, smiled and thanked him. I told him
how much that meant to me, and that being comfortable in my own skin is one of
my biggest goals. I want my kids to see that I’m confident not because I think
I’m perfect, but because I focus on the parts that I like and on things that
make me happy. I want my kids to see that confidence isn’t about perfection,
and I want them to like themselves. Kids take in unspoken cues from their
parents and I hope they follow my lead in self-acceptance. Sometimes I make
mistakes as a parent but I think I do a good job at modeling for my kids (and
hopefully others) that we are loveable just as we are. We are unique and we
should embrace our individual talents and gifts. Being proud of who you are,
and being comfortable with yourself, is essential.

The man in the gym doesn’t know that in the past I spent
huge amounts of energy and worry over what I saw as my shortcomings. He doesn’t
know that my comfort in my own skin is a hard-won achievement and an ongoing
journey. I see people who are braver than I am, and their courage inspires me
to keep challenging my limits (self-imposed or otherwise). I’m not bulletproof.
I have a lot of moments of self-doubt. But I keep going.

What do I think it means to be comfortable in my own skin?

It means that I focus on my good more than I obsess over parts
I wish were different.

It means I try not to compare myself to other people, wishing
I had their talent/looks/job/whatever.

It means that I don’t let others push me around anymore.
This sense of self-worth shines out from inside.

It means I walk with my head up because I like who I am,
imperfections and all. I know that what I have to offer the world can’t be
summed up by my dress size, the price of my purse, my zip code or any other false
measure of worth.

This started as a Christmas tree blog post. It started with
a lighthearted costume, a delight for me to wear and fun for others to see. Along
the way the costume turned into a symbol of doing your own thing and not
worrying about whether it is flawless or understood by others. This costume and
the compliment from an almost-stranger became a reminder to me (and I hope an
encouragement to others) to keep shining, in whichever way you shine. Believe
in yourself and that confidence will shine out. What started as a playful
costume took on deeper meaning. I love those moments.

Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Today I am a winter wonderland, covered in snowflakes. If
you must call me a flake, be sure to use my full name: Snow Flake. It softens
the blow.

This costume has been particularly fun to make. Snowflakes
are beautiful, so they are a pleasure to design. And there are seemingly
endless possibilities as far as their configuration.

Did you ever make paper snowflakes as a kid? In elementary
school we did them, and I remember it clearly. You had to cut part of your
letter-sized paper off so that you started with a square. Then you fold, fold,
fold and start cutting, cutting, cutting. Part of the magic was not knowing
exactly how those cuts would look once you opened up your snowflakes. This
remains true for me now: not knowing exactly what the cuts would turn into
makes it a surprise for me, too. For some of my paper snowflakes I used coffee
filters and different sized cupcake liners. This worked great: filters and
baking cups come as circles, so I didn’t have to cut circles before starting.
They are also a little more flexible than regular paper so they’re easier to
fold. Last week my friend Ang gave me the coffee filters. She knows I like to
turn regular items into wearable art, but she didn’t know that the filters would
work beautifully for this week’s theme—after all, I don’t tell anyone my themes
beforehand (even those who live with me!). Excellent timing, Ang. Thank you!

Since snowflakes have lots of detail, you can go a little
crazy with embellishments like rhinestones and beads, which I already had in my
art studio. It adds to the sparkly effect.

I started with a man’s blue dress shirt from the thrift
store, because I thought the flakes would stand out nicely against the sky-blue
background. The rest of the costume almost made itself, because I had buttons
and felt that I could assemble into differently-shaped flakes. I found a bead
at home that looked like a snowflakes, and I turned a few ornaments into
earrings.

blue shirt (thrifted) $ 6

felt, doily, ornaments $ 3

embroidery floss, sparkly foam$
2

beads, sequins, buttons (already
had)$
0

coffee filters (from Ang)$ 0

Total$11

When it’s sunny and shorts weather here in San Diego, the only way you’re going
to get snowflakes is if you cut them yourself. It’s easy, festive and fun. Go
ahead. NOW!

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Sometimes I like doing things my own way. Sometimes I have a
unique approach—without even intending to. Today, for instance.

This morning I glanced at our front tree. I see it multiple
times a day. How many hundreds—thousands--of times have I looked at it, this
year alone? But today I did a double take. There was something different about
the tree. Why was there a plastic Easter egg hanging near the Christmas lights?

Hubby hung the lights a week ago, so I could ask him. But he
decorates for Christmas and I decorated the tree for Easter. Which means that
there has been one rebellious Easter egg hanging in the tree for the last eight
months. I’ll admit I’ve been a little distracted. Three kids. Tons happening.
And the egg is light blue, which somewhat camouflages into the green leaves.
But still. Eight months? This is a new one on me. I love to make others laugh,
but today the joke was on me…

I’m considering several courses of action.

1)Remove the egg and return it to the box of other
eggs, where it will get an enthusiastic welcome home from its colorful friends.

2)Decorate the egg in Christmas colors so that it
is the most versatile Easter egg in history.

3)Leave it there, as it is, for another four
months, until next Easter and pat myself on the back for being an early
planner.

Sunday, December 6, 2015

For some people the swap meet is part of their weekly
routine, but for others it’s as foreign as a trip to the moon. Some people recoil
from used clothing and knickknacks, repulsed by potential germs. They’d rather
roll around at the dump in ant-covered rotting banana peels than go to a thrift
store or garage sale. And then there are those of us who love the treasure hunt
of thrifting. Which type are you?

If you’re horrified by the idea of buying (or even touching)
other people’s things, you may feel that the topic doesn’t appeal to you and
that you should stop reading this post before you feel queasy. That’s okay. But
I encourage you to keep reading—just another paragraph or two—just to see if
there’s something intriguing about the meet that you don’t know about yet. I’m
biased, of course, because I like thrifting, and I say to those who haven’t
tried it: you’re missing out.

Thrift stores and garage sales and swap meets have something
in common, of course, but they are also different from each other and each
deserves its own blog post. So for now, I’ll focus on the swap meet, and if
you’ll remind me sometime soon, I’ll share thoughts on its cousins: thrift
stores and garage sales.

Today I wandered through my local swap meet--quite by
accident. I had an errand to do across the street from the meet and because I
finished early, I decided to head over. It had been over a year since my last
swap meet visit. The last time I’d been was a day I was selling things with a
friend. It was the first time either of us had sold at the swap meet and it was
a mixed experience. I sold very little and was disappointed, but my friend made
some money. She’d been back since to sell but I hadn’t. But today was a good
opportunity to pop into the meet to see if I could find some unusual,
mismatched buttons for an upcoming art project. No dice on the buttons but I
found some other small items for FAPs (Future Art Projects) so it was time well
spent.

For someone like me, who loves a good back story and has
tons of questions about people, places and events, the swap meet is a gold
mine. It’s completely different from shopping at a chain store. You’ll find me
in chain stores each week, so I’m not condemning them, but today’s topic is the
magic of the meet, so right now I’m focused on its charms.

The items found at a swap meet are as varied and individual
as the vendors themselves. I love the unpredictability of what you’ll find at
the meet, even within one stall. The selection is incongruous: shoes might be
cuddled up to plastic toys, vintage bake ware, fishing gear, 1970s neck ties,
potted plants and cologne. If you need VHS tapes of every Friends episode made, I suggest you race down to the Sports Arena
before someone else grabs them. It’s chotchke and gewgaw heaven.

Today I bought items at two stalls and spoke to several
vendors. I asked whether today was busier than usual with Christmas drawing
nearer. I was curious about whether the vendors sell here weekly, this being
part of their regular gig. One man said he wasn’t a regular seller, but that he
needed to sell stuff before moving out of the area. Another vendor had things
organized by price, and I got the impression that he does this regularly and
has a detailed system. The wannabe Lois Lane in me had too many questions to
ask casually while sifting through old jewelry. I didn’t think I should fire
question after question at the vendors, but with each answer more questions were
born. I wondered how time-consuming it was to collect the items they planned to
sell. Did they go to garage sales and thrift stores six days a week in order to
have enough inventory for one day of selling? Was selling their main gig,
something that covered their bills? Or was selling on weekends a supplement to
the jobs they held during the week? Was it a pain in the neck to haul a van
full of stuff at six a.m., unload it, spend all day hoping people would buy
things, deal with lowball offers, watch for thieves, and then pack it all up
that afternoon, drive it home, and flop down, exhausted, hoping the wad of cash
earned would cover the gas it took to drive to the meet? Or at least cover food
this week? It takes so much effort to transform an empty parking lot into a
temporary mall for a few hours. I wondered if the vendors hated the repetitious
nature of set up and break down. Or did they feel that this beats a tedious
desk job, any day? Did they like working outdoors, watching the variety of
people who come to the meet? Did they befriend other regular vendors or was
there fierce competition for business? Do they resent that people often haggle
about price at a swap meet, or do they figure it’s all still worth it, because
the vendors are their own bosses and they name the price? Which personality
types are drawn to selling? How long have they been selling here?

One vendor (the guy about to move) looked weathered, his
face proof that he’d worked outdoors for decades. But he smiled and seemed glad
that someone was talking to him beyond grunting, “How much?” The guy with the
impeccably organized stall looked bored. The sweet grandma-type who claimed she
was just cleaning out her house played hardball with prices. The vendors
fascinated me. How about a reality show about the colorful characters who are
swap meet vendors?

If you haven’t dipped your toe into swap meet shopping, let
me give you a small sample of what you might find there: mugs, electronics,
1980s telephones, Christmas decorations, detergent, socks, smart phone cases,
potted trees, fresh produce, dream catchers, a nearly life sized Barbie head
for hair styling (which I remember as a hot toy in the 1980s), size 15 rubber
boots, vinyl records, brass belt buckles, old tee shirts, new pants, a sequined
party dress, vintage sewing machines, a needlepoint pig (part of a larger
collection of pigs of various materials and sizes), skate boards, shoe laces,
new shoes and old jewelry. Such an eclectic mix. If anthropologists of the future
study the people of 2015 they will conclude that we like stuff, we have a lot
of stuff, and the moment we drop a bag of stuff we don’t need at Goodwill, we
immediately go to swap meets to get even less
essential new old stuff. Future
anthropologists will conclude this: humans in the twenty-first century
exhibited classic hunter-gatherer tendencies. They may have a point.
Sociologists may want to station themselves at swap meets to analyze social
behaviors and interactions. You like people-watching? Go to a swap meet.

Is there really any harm in bringing home a couple of
things? Exhibit A: my house is full of things I use and don’t use, and even as
I resolve to donate a lot of it to my local thrift store, I still bring home more
stuff on a daily basis. Is it the gatherer in me? Do I want to be prepared? Is
it the mom in me, who wants to have on hand whatever the kids might need? Is it
the artist in me, who likes assembling strange combinations of things and
turning it into art? (D) All of the above?

Today’s unplanned visit to the meet planted lots of
questions in my mind. Perhaps I’ll formally interview some vendors at some
point, in exchange for lunch. I’m fascinated by the vendors, and I want
answers!

Now I ask those of you who consider yourselves swap meet
avoiders, has today’s post about the swap meet changed your mind in any way? Or
has it confirmed your suspicions that going to a swap meet is even worse than
going to the DMV? I still think you should try it at least once, just to see.
If you do go, bring one dollar bills and take your multi vitamins first. You’ll
need energy because there may be some intense haggling over price. And if it
comes down to it, I might have to arm wrestle you for those Friends VHS tapes…

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Next month I will start my eighth year of writing this blog,
where I share my thoughts, show my photos, and tell my tales of the wacky life
I lead. Revealing the crazy anecdotes about parenting, and my life in general,
is a form of therapy for me. It’s a way to show the world that I’m okay with
people seeing my human side. I want to be honest
about how human I am. I don't want to paint a picture of a flawless family.
Keeping it real is important to me now, because I used to think I should only show
the sides of me that were picture-perfect. At the time I was horrified by the idea of exposing my flaws,
mistakes, embarrassments. But over time I have realized that we might as well laugh about and bond around
our human experiences. If we pretend our lives look like a polished Martha Stewart
magazine feature we’ll never truly know each other. We’ll all be too busy
making sure that the image is right. And you can’t know someone if they’ll only
show their camera-ready moments.

I’ve grown a lot since the days when I thought I had to
present a flawless façade. I now believe that it’s important to share the human
stuff, to admit the challenges, to laugh about the crazy parts. Sharing my life
through a blog is my way of refusing to be pressured to show only the picture
perfect moments. I am not interested in presenting my life as a Norman
Rockwell/Tollhouse cookie/Hallmark commercial. My life is nothing like that,
and I’m okay with this! Actually, there are commercials out there that embrace the
human side—showing parenthood as it often is: an imperfect, trial and error,
sometimes exhausting marathon peppered with amazing moments and
hilarious outtakes. I love those commercials because they’re keeping it real. We’re
embracing our imperfections. Parenthood in 2015 isn’t about being June and Ward
Cleaver. It’s about being human, and letting your kids know that they can be
human, too. Those commercials where the kitchen is clean, the clutter is nonexistent,
no one has a stain on their sweatshirt—those weren’t filmed in my house! I
guess those commercials are selling us a fantasy but I’d rather stay here in my
reality. There’s mess. I’m not perfect. And that’s okay. I’m human and I’m willing
to share that with others. Let’s laugh about it.

I laughed with a friend a few nights ago after my youngest
child’s school music performance. My friend was taking photos with her three kids.
I told her I was very impressed that her twin sons had matching outfits. “I couldn’t
even find my daughter’s shoes tonight, and you found not one but two clean,
matching outfits!” We laughed about the missing shoe. This moment fits with the
point I’m making today: we’re human—why hide it? Let’s laugh about the
unexpected, frenzied moments. Showing the real stuff makes life relatable.

These crazy moments seem inevitable on busy school nights that
involve a performance and party clothes. The tone was set when I realized what
a short window of time there was between school pick up and 5:30, when the students
would meet to prepare for the 6pm show. There was a lot to do. The mayhem
started when a few unrelated mishaps landed in that short window of time.
Someone knocked on the door to discuss solar panels. I had to make phone calls
about a missing homework assignment. I hadn’t ironed our daughter’s dress or
found her shoes. Things got crazier when one of the kids put on tights with a
hole in one shin. “What’s up with that hole?” I asked her. “Oh, no one will
notice it,” she replied. I stared at her and said, “Your skin is light. The tights
are black. The hole is completely obvious! Everyone
will notice. It will look like we got your outfit out of a dumpster! I’ll sew
it shut.” Of course, I couldn’t find a needle. I looked with all my sewing
stuff. No dice. And the clock was ticking. I looked in the kitchen, where I sometimes
keep craft items. No needle. Could I tape the hole? Get real. Tape would hold about
two seconds. “And where are your shoes?” I called to our youngest. I only see
one of them. “What time is it? Is everyone else dressed? We have to go in eight
minutes! Someone find the shoe! I’m looking for a sewing needle! How did I
manage to put my dress on backwards? No wonder it looks strange! Did you finish
your homework? Did you start your
homework?”

Several frenzied minutes later we’re finally out of the
house and on our way. We’re running late, but I knew from last year that many
kids did not arrive a full thirty minutes before the show—and guess what? It was
fine. In the truck, Hubby drives and I’m in the passenger seat, twisted around
backwards, trying to sew the hole in my daughter’s tights—the truck’s dome
light is on so I can see—but I’m in such a strange position that I get a cramp.
“Owww,” I groan. And then the allergy attack starts. We arrive at the school
but the gates that were open for last year’s performance are shut so we have to
do a u turn and circle back. I keep glancing at the time. How do we get in? At
last we figure it out and get where we need to be. The performance is adorable.
And then it’s pandemonium again as parents and kids mill around the auditorium,
trying to find one another. We swim against the tide and eventually meet up and
walk toward the exit. This is when I see my friend and her three kids, two with
matching outfits, and laughingly tell her about the missing shoe and the chaos
of our afternoon. People around us laugh, and I say, “I can’t make this stuff
up. It really happened!”

And so I’m sharing another funny episode in this endurance
sport I call parenthood. I’m not perfect, and I don’t want to pretend to be. Let’s
laugh about the mishaps. Stay tuned because the one thing I can guarantee about
this unpredictable journey of motherhood is that there will be more hectic,
wild moments of scrambling, freaking out, making do, and laughing about it.
After all, that’s life.

Wednesday, December 2, 2015

Have we met? My name is Ms. Candy Cane. My name and my
costume match. Would you like to know how my
outfit came to be? A few months back I decided that my December costumes would
be wintery/Christmasy. I realize that not everyone celebrates Christmas, but I
hope that the festive feel of my costumes will appeal to one and all (or most).
My preparations for this week’s costume started at the thrift store, where I
scored a red and white striped shirt. Next stop: fabric store, where I
bought half a yard of striped fabric for my skirt.

First curve ball: at home, a young artist cut a
sizeable piece out of my half yard of fabric. She had a great art idea, and who
am I to stop a creative snowball as it grows in size and momentum?

I could have insisted on having the piece back but instead, I assured myself that I could still use the remaining fabric and it all would work out. Even if I had to make the skirt a little different from how I’d envisioned it, all would be okay. Lots of times I piece together something from several different fabrics and often times it turns out more interesting than if I’d had a larger amount of just one fabric.

Second curve ball: I discovered that another creative youngster who lives here in our artists’ colony drew on my skirt fabric. Solution? A well-placed pocket covering the drawing.

(Both little artists here at home are very talented, and I often frame their art rather than covering it in pockets. But sometimes I like to stick to one theme, in this case candy canes, rather than mix and match candy canes with hieroglyphics. Although that could be a fun twist.)

I’m sharing these two curve ball stories because I want to encourage others to find a way to keep going with a project even if something unexpected has popped up along the way. See if you can find a way to work with the unexpected rather than become derailed by it. Of course, I’m not sure if I should dispense advice on this matter as I have many, many unfinished projects here. I’m human. Very.

Back to Ms. Candy Cane and her stripes-on-stripes costume. Running with a theme like candy canes is so much fun. Candy canes need no translation. They are recognizable to people of many different walks of life, diverse backgrounds and various ages. I love the idea of a costume that most people would recognize and enjoy. Because candy canes are available only this time of year, they instantly set a Christmasy tone. Their look hasn’t changed throughout the years, so they are a familiar symbol whether you’re celebrating your first Christmas or your 100th Christmas.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Every Wednesday I trot into my local Vons market and laugh
for a few minutes with my buddies who work there. It started months ago, on one
of my first Wacky Wednesdays. The checkers liked my costume (and that day it
was relatively simple—only a hat. A bird nest hat…). Soon it became part of my
Wednesday routine to pop in and say hi. A few days ago several of my Vons
friends joked around about whether I’d be dressed as a turkey today. It’s a
reasonable guess, given that tomorrow is Thanksgiving. And given that I dress
up in strange and playful outfits each Wednesday. And given that I love to make
people laugh. And given that I have a giant turkey outfit in my closet. (Just
kidding about that last one.) As I explained to my friends, this sounds fun but
potentially could be dangerous. What if my costume looked really realistic? I
wouldn’t want to the guest of honor at a turkey dinner. (Tip: if your place
card is nestled in a bed of parsley on a giant platter in the center of the
table, distract the guests by pointing a wing in the opposite
direction--exclaiming, “Hey, look—what’s that?”—and then hightail it for the
door.)

Anyway, cute as the turkey costume idea is, I had something
else in mind. I decided to go with a concept that I’ve used a few times in
recent months: wearing words on Wednesday. Wearing words is a good way to share
my thoughts with others. That’s part of why I write this blog. But for those
who see me but don’t know about the blog, I want to get my message across in a
few seconds or less, which can be done if you wear words. Given that it’s
Thanksgiving week, I want to wear my gratitude on my sleeve (and on the rest of
my dress). I am grateful for a lot, and I want to express it.

My dress is made of fallish colors. Some might confuse this
with a throwback 1970s costume: all mustards and browns and squash tones. Hey,
I’m a product of the ‘70s, so I embrace that decade. Today’s dress is not about
the 70s, but is my attempt to celebrate fall, its colors, harvest, and
gratitude. I wrote the word “thankful” across the front of my dress in fallish
colors.

I also have “thankful” on my headband. Originally I’d
planned to have something different on my head. But plans were shuffled the
last few days and I ran out of time. I’m human. As much as I’d love to create a
Last Vegas caliber costume every week, sometimes I have to cobble together a
simpler Plan B. On Sunday I played at the beach with two of our three kids, and
I think that was more important than creating a memorable hat. Our beach day
was fun and I feel lucky to have that choice. On that note, here are some more
things I appreciate:

I am thankful for family, friends, and my community.

I am thankful for health, freedom and a safe place to sleep.

I am thankful for teachers, and all those who help others.

I am thankful for hope, because I know that many people
don’t have it.

I am thankful for creativity and for laughter.

There are other things I could list but I’m keeping the list
to a smallish number because it’s a busy week and tomorrow is Thanksgiving and
I still have loads to do. You, too? Okay, well then it’s time for you to stop
reading stuff online. You need to stop this endless Googling of “bad celebrity
plastic surgery.” No more screen time! (After you finish reading my post, of
course.)

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

I’m dressed in math flash cards today, an idea that came to
me months ago when I saw flash cards on sale at a store. These cards were cheerier
than most flash cards, with their colorful borders, and instantly I saw potential
for them to become wearable art. Perhaps if more flash cards had bright colors
on them, kids would be excited about math drills. Hey, bring a little dazzle to
math!

It’s always fun for me to create an outfit made of unexpected
materials. Having learned from my attempt to sit in my cupcake liner dress
earlier this year, I decided that I would make this costume more of an apron
rather than a dress. I wanted it to be a little bit open in the back because sitting
on paper breaks your paper and is uncomfortable. What I didn’t anticipate, though,
is that this apron would not be interested in bending. I should have known
this, since the cards are fairly rigid and I glued each one to my fabric. When
I finally put this outfit on (five minutes before leaving the house today) I
realized that I could not bend. Could I get through the day without bending? I
didn’t think so. A few quick cuts in the front of the dress allowed me to walk
a little more easily. Bending down to pick up things I dropped was not easy, and
I’m always dropping something. And don’t get me started on using the bathroom
in this dress! Bathroom breaks are a reality. Bathroom breaks require bending.
Oh, my.

Wednesday mornings are when I volunteer at my youngest
child’s school, helping kiddos with their banking. The students have their own accounts,
and they bring me deposits of dollars or coins. I bring their money to the
credit union, where it is put into their accounts. Although my costume today
wasn’t intended as a reference to banking, wearing numbers while I took the kids’
money worked with my theme. Saving their money in the bank is a real life
application of math because they are earning interest. Lots of students
commented on my costume and solved some of the math problems on my dress. I
doled out high fives as kids solved the problems on the flash cards and told me
that they knew 12 x 12. 144! High five.

Later, after I deposited the kids’ money, I did several
errands on foot. People were surprised and delighted by my outfit. Quite a few
people asked whether I was a math teacher. I’m not, but I do think math is
important and this costume has turned into a way to bring a little more fun to
math. Several people commented that they wish their math teacher had made classes
a little more exciting. These tended to be people of an older generation, and I
imagine that in their day, school was a serious place. My oldest child has math
projects that bring a little extra fun to the subject, and connect math to the
world outside the classroom. I love that. Even if math isn’t a student’s
favorite subject, it’s important to understand how it connects to the real
world. As adults we use math every single day. At the supermarket our
understanding of math is in use when we compare prices per ounce of food. We
use math to select a phone plan—not just choosing the most affordable plan, but
deciding which combination of services and costs fits our needs. Math isn’t
just for the parts of life that are obligatory, like paying an electricity
bill. Math can be your friend when you’re doing your favorite activity.
Understanding numbers can help you decide whether to rent roller skates at the rink
or to buy them. Will I use my skates often enough to justify the cost? If there
are any kids or teens out there reading this blog, take it from me—understanding
math isn’t just about passing the course and keeping your parents at bay. A
good understanding of math can help you for the rest of your life.

Okay, enough lectures. Back to fun! I loved wearing this
costume because people seemed to get a kick out of it. It’s fun to see the
surprise in people’s eyes as they see me and it’s a great conversation starter.
One man in the supermarket commented about how nice it would be to make school
more exciting to kids. That got me thinking. I’ve decided to share my formula
with anyone out there who wants to make a similar outfit at home. Math
teachers, this isn’t that hard. You could do this if you have some flash cards,
a little fabric, some hot glue and two hours. I’m presenting this lesson as a
formula because creating costumes actually can be a little like doing a math
problem. Strange, but true.

Formula for Fun Math Apron:

Supplies needed:

·Fabric (see below)

·Hot glue gun and hot glue sticks (or regular
glue if you are more patient about dry time than I am)

·Flash cards (I used two packages of cards—probably
80 or more cards in all)

1)Get some fabric as the base of your costume. I
used a piece of cotton I had already. It doesn’t need to be anything fancy. Cut
up an old sheet if you have one. No one will see the fabric.

2)Measure against your body how tall the apron
will be. Also measure around your body so that the apron will covers as much as
you’d like it to.

3)Cut your fabric into an apron shape, based on the
width and height you just measured for yourself. (Here’s what the apron looks
like from the back.)

4)Cut a length of fabric to create a strap that will
attach to the top of the apron, around your neck. It needs to fit over your
head. Attach it to the apron. Create straps for the back of the apron.

5)Start hot gluing your flash cards to the front
of your apron. You can glue them randomly, or in a pattern, as I did. I did my
pattern according to color, but there’s no wrong way to do this.

6)Keep gluing down cards until your fabric is
covered. Try it on and if it’s too stiff for walking, cut some slits in the
bottom of the apron so you can move.

7)Walk into math class and see what happens.

Total cost:

Flash cards (from the 99 cent store), 2 packages$2

Hot glue sticks (from the 99 cent store)$1

Random piece of fabric you already had$0

_________________________________________________________

Total spent $3

Now, I hope your pencils have been sharpened because I have
a surprise for you. Pop quiz!

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Today’s costume and theme aren’t wacky the way they’ve been
on other recent Wednesdays. My Wednesday posts don’t often coincide with a
serious day, so most of the time I freely embrace whatever wackiness occurs to
me each week. However, today is different. Several months ago I realized that
Veterans Day would be on a Wednesday this year, and it was clear to me that I
wanted to honor the veterans who have given so much to America.

So how does one mix a wacky weekly creative post with a
serious occasion like Veterans Day? Not quite sure. I don’t want my playful
style to be confused with a lack of appreciation for veterans or anyone in the
armed services. I’m certainly not mocking anyone, but I do have a playful style
and I’m not going to alter that so as to try to appease everyone (which is
impossible, anyway!).

Well, I know I can’t control how people perceive my
creations, so I’ll just hope that they see the intention behind today’s wearable
art: a salute to veterans.

I’ve dressed patriotically before (and not just on July 4th).
As a teenager I created a red, white and blue dress as a statement about the
American spirit. But the patriotic 17-year-old didn’t understand how different
America is from many countries, and I do as an adult. I am grateful to live in
a country where I can do what I like, be who I am, and where diversity is
celebrated. I vote. I am thankful for those who protect America. As I get a
little older, I appreciate more and more the sacrifices of those who serve our
country and sacrifices of their families. Thanking veterans is not about which
political party you identify with—it’s about an appreciation for what veterans
have done for us.

The further I get from age 17, the more I understand how
young the teenaged soldiers are who enlist. Their bodies may look grown but the
responsibility they take on is greater than a teenager should face. I want to
mother them, not send them out to take care of me…And so today I’m especially appreciative of those who have served
and are serving this country. Our country isn’t perfect but it is a good place,
and I am thankful to live here.

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

(Well, that got your attention, I’d bet.) It’s a sliiiiight exaggeration, I admit. I had both sunlight and electricity to aid me in this project. The darkness I mentioned is my self-pitying reference to the fact that we’ve returned to Standard Time. It’s November and someone, somewhere, made us turn our clocks back. It’s dark earlier these days and I’m not happy about it.

It’s officially fall now, and I thought I’d make a costume that reflects that. What’s that you say? It’s been fall for six weeks, officially? Hmmmm. It’s been in the high 80s here in San Diego. It doesn’t really feel like fall yet, except for the annoying darkness that settles in far too early now.

Of course, I have noticed leaves changing lately. Just a little. And that means a fall leaves blog post.

I decided to make my fall leaves by painting fabric and paper. The paper leaves were especially fun to make. If you want to make some of your own, here are some tips:

1)Do not chant rude things to yourself, along the lines of “This leaf is lame. I can’t paint a leaf!”

2)Your leaf can be big, small, realistic, cartoony—whatever. There’s no right or wrong.

3)If possible, use thicker paper as it will hold its shape and won’t bend and buckle when painted.

4)Try painting the leaf asymmetrically. It’s only my opinion but the ones that are not perfectly symmetrical are prettier, and more natural-looking. Leaves don’t change according to a diagram, so if one side is red and the other yellow or orange, that is how nature does it. This actually takes pressure off of you and me, since making something perfectly symmetrical can be stressful. We’re trying to de-stress with our leaf project, not re-stress. The photo below shows leaves I drew using permanent marker. I layered paint so that the effect would be mottled and have lots of color and visual texture. If in doubt, keep layering paint!

This week’s creation is not as much a costume as it is
accessories. But it has a fallish feel and was fun to wear. I’m still really
tired from Halloween so I scaled back a little on my creation this week. I hot
glued my fabric and paper leaves to one another to form a necklace. It has a
bit of a Hawaiian feel, I think.

When I started typing this post a few days ago, it was still
hot and my brain was not in fall mode yet.

Fast forward two days and I can report to you that the
atmosphere must have known I was going to write about fall, because yesterday
we got some rain—yes, rain in San
Diego!—and I needed a sweatshirt this morning. Someone flipped a switch
somewhere and suddenly it is fall.

Supposedly we’re going to get an El Nino rainy winter this
year. So tune in next month when our topic will be Build Your Own Ark-in three
easy steps!